Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: Yankees Presser Reaction

Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg, Don La Greca
Episode Focus: First reactions to the Yankees’ end-of-season press conference featuring manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman, plus passionate calls and banter on the state of the Yankees and New York sports.

Main Theme / Episode Overview

The trio dissect the New York Yankees’ season-ending press conference with particular focus on Aaron Boone’s and Brian Cashman’s comments, exploring whether the current leadership inspires any confidence for a championship breakthrough. Alongside analysis of these answers, frustration with Yankees’ communications, injury updates, and how the organization handles expectations dominate the hour. The guys also let fans sound off, offering broader context on the Yankees franchise philosophy shift and baseball culture in New York.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Video Setup & Modern Sports Media (00:30–04:12)

• Lighthearted early banter about the YouTube video feed setup, jokes about camera angles and the realities of modern "content" over traditional radio.
• Hahn reflects on the shift: “Audio doesn’t mean anything anymore. What we talk about means nothing. It’s all about, does it look good?... This is content. This is what it’s about.” (03:46)

2. Aaron Boone’s Honesty: Leadership Under Scrutiny (04:12–08:05)

• Joel Sherman from the media praised for direct questioning — asking Boone why people should trust the current Yankees hierarchy to deliver a title.

• Aaron Boone’s response [clip] (04:56–05:58):

  "I don't know what to tell you... I can't answer that because I haven't got this team to the top of the mountain... But ultimately, that’s, you know, I can't tell you anything to make you feel good... Ultimately it's about us winning number 28. And all I can tell you is I'm working my butt off to try and be a part of helping us bring that back.”
  – Aaron Boone (04:56–05:58)

• Don critiques Boone’s answer as “lazy analysis”—pointing out they were dominated by the Blue Jays and ended up a wild card:

  "If you’re the best team in baseball, then why are you a wild card team?... Why did you go quietly into that good night?" (06:33)

• Peter and Alan actually praise Boone’s candor:

  "I sort of felt it was honest… I just appreciate him not feeding us complete BS. I thought it was a moment of humanity from Aaron Boone."
  – Peter Rosenberg (07:34)

3. Brian Cashman’s Tone & Accountability (09:33–13:20)

• Cashman’s comments [clip] (09:38–10:02):

  "We’ve had success and failure, obviously failed in our ultimate goal... It wasn’t good enough."
  – Brian Cashman

• Don is sharply critical of Cashman's attitude:

  "You know damn well what the masses think… The masses want a championship, and they want your head on a platter. Why don’t you just accept that?"
  – Don (10:52)

• Exploration of fan frustration that Cashman seems insulated, referencing Steinbrenner’s "win or death" mentality and ongoing fan discontent.

4. On Ownership & "Punching Through" (11:40–13:20)

• Cashman describes Hal Steinbrenner as "frustrated, disappointed," but frames championships as rare, non-repetitive, and reliant on a “winning gene.”
• Don rejects this as just the "crapshoot" argument, noting contemporary franchises (Giants, Astros, Red Sox) have punched through multiple times, unlike the Yankees.

  “One World Series appearance in the last 15 years, no championships in that span of time... can you punch through occasionally?”
  – Don (12:32–13:20)

5. Blue Jays & Yankees Comparison – Changing Standards (13:20–15:32)

• Yankees’ inability to beat Toronto, using their previous last-place finish as context.
• Don calls out Yankees for measuring themselves against other teams rather than their own storied history.

  "Everybody else in the market is measuring the Yankees against themselves."
  – Don (14:17)

6. New York Pressure & Roster Construction (16:07–19:59)

• Extended, impassioned discussion about New York being a unique and harsher market, especially for Yankees players.

  “New York is just different… The fans, 40,000+ every single day calling you every name in the book… I don't know if I'd be able to handle playing here with that kind of scrutiny.”
  – Don (18:11)

• Don & Peter agree: the true challenge is not only building a strong roster but finding players who can “handle New York.”

• Alan points out that in NY, winning is required for full acceptance:

  “If you don't have a ring, you're not allowed in the room."
  – Alan (20:08)

7. Injury Updates & Organizational Transparency (20:10–23:51)

• Updates:
  • Garrett Cole: throwing off a mound, out for Opening Day.
  • Carlos Rodon: elbow cleanup surgery; misses season start.
  • Clark Schmidt: also unavailable to start.
  • Anthony Volpe: shoulder/labrum surgery, won’t be ready for Opening Day.
  • Aaron Judge: healthy, no surgery needed.
• Unhappiness about the Yankees’ inconsistent messaging on injuries, referencing Volpe and previously Rizzo’s concussion.

  "Throughout an off season, anything can change... Even if I'm a Yankee fan, that's good news for now, but I'd still kind of wait and see."
  – Don (22:05)

8. Organization’s Communications Failings: The Volpe Saga (36:13–40:11)

• Contradictory statements from Boone (says injury didn’t affect Volpe much) vs. Cashman (says injury likely did impact performance).
  • Boone [Audio Clip] (36:40–37:37): Dismisses significant impact.
  • Cashman [Audio Clip] (37:46–38:36): “I personally think now… it was affecting him because ultimately he had to have surgery.”
• Critical reflection: Yankees seem to protect their own narrative, sometimes to the detriment of transparency.

  “You save the player from himself. You make the decision for him... I can call out the organization for it.”
  – Alan (40:03)

9. Yankees’ Evolving “Mission Statement” & Fan Expectations (30:01–33:11)

• Callers and hosts agree: The Yankees’ organizational bar for success has shifted away from "championship or bust” to “consistent winning.”

  “I think the mission statement, the new mission statement for this franchise is be consistently good... every year above .500, every year in contention. And that’s probably the mission statement.”
  – Don (32:27–33:11)

• Alan connects Yankees and Cowboys as franchises that "live off the past" and immense popularity, while the fanbase still expects titles.

10. Listener Calls – Fan Perspective (29:12–36:13, 33:15–36:13)

• Jay from Westchester: Discontent with Yankees’ “good enough” mentality. Calls for a shift from merely profitable/competitive to championship obsessed like George Steinbrenner.
• Javi from Queens: Predicts few major changes for the Yankees beyond the bullpen; poses a Knicks question to Alan.
• Troy from New Jersey: Points out the long leash Volpe has been given (“Have you ever seen… any player getting as long of a leash as Anthony Volpe has?” (35:13)), comparison to Gary Sanchez.

11. Lighter Moments: Arena Banter & Technical Chaos (41:58–47:51)

• Extended comic asides about Don trying to broadcast from Devils opener, fighting with arena music, jokes about cover bands, and silent rants.
• Alan: "He is checked out. He is checked out." (47:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Boone’s candor on success:

  "I can't answer that because I haven't got this team to the top of the mountain... All I can tell you is I'm confident in my ability to lead this team." (04:56–05:58)

• Don on Cashman's tone:

  "Don’t treat us like morons. We know what the masses want. The masses want a championship, and they want your head on a platter." (10:52)

• Peter on Boone’s honesty:

  "I just appreciate him not feeding us complete BS." (07:34)

• Don on New York pressure:

  “I don’t know if I’d be able to handle playing here with that kind of scrutiny.” (18:11)

• Alan on the Yankees’ contemporary identity:

  “The expectations of the fan base is no longer the expectations of the franchise.” (31:16)

• Don on "mission statement":

  “The new mission statement for this franchise is be consistently good… That’s probably the mission statement.” (33:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:14 – Boone grilled by Joel Sherman; Boone’s answer aired and dissected
• 09:38 – Cashman press conference tone & “success/failure” analysis clip
• 11:40 – Cashman describes Hal Steinbrenner’s mood
• 13:57 – Blue Jays/Yankees comparison, Cashman again
• 16:54 – Cashman on needing to “fire on all cylinders” in October
• 20:10 – Injury news roundup (Cole, Rodon, Schmidt, Volpe, Judge)
• 29:12 – Fan calls, first up: Jay in Westchester
• 36:13 – Anthony Volpe injury saga: Boone and Cashman’s contrasting statements
• 41:58 – Don's struggles with the noisy Devils home opener booth

Conclusion

Overall, Hour 1 sharply captures the sensibility of current Yankees fans: skepticism, frustration, and weariness with what’s seen as a loss of the franchise’s championship-or-bust DNA. The hosts balance passionate critique with measured analysis, acknowledging the uniquely competitive (and pressurized) nature of New York and what it takes to win there. Listener calls reinforce the sense of discontent. While injuries and roster concerns loom, the hour’s mood is one of limited optimism and a demand for greater candor and accountability from Yankees’ leadership. Lighter moments and in-arena chaos add classic New York radio flavor, reinforcing the personalities and local spirit of the show.